The Individual Psychological Recovery Process

Defusing Toxic Guilt and Shame

The first step in the recovery of a victim of workplace bullying is cognitive work to dismantle guilt.

It is common that the victim, after months of hearing that he or she is "doing everything wrong," has internalized the aggressor's discourse, believing that he or she deserved the mistreatment because he or she was incompetent or weak.

Therapeutic intervention and organizational support should focus on externalizing responsibility: bullying is a decision of the bully, not a consequence of the victim's shortcomings.

Overcoming the shame of having been violated is crucial to regaining dignity.

Without this "mental cleansing" process, any attempt to return to work will be fragile, as the person will continue to feel "defective".

Trauma Management and Desensitization

The return to the work environment (or to a new one) can trigger traumatic triggers.

A tone of voice similar to the offender's, an urgent email, or a closed-door meeting can provoke panic attacks or freeze responses.

Recovery involves systematic desensitization techniques, where the person learns to dissociate neutral stimuli (such as a meeting) from the past threat.

It is a process of re-educating the nervous system so that it is no longer in constant survival mode.

The organization can support this process by avoiding unnecessarily high-pressure situations during the early stages of recovery.

Rebuilding Professional Identity

Bullying often destroys perceived self-efficacy; the victim forgets that he or she is a competent professional.

The final phase of individual recovery is the reconstruction of work identity.

This involves reconnecting with one's skills, remembering past accomplishments, and setting new career goals.

Often, this requires a process of "re-skilling" or professional updating, not because the person does not know how, but to give him or her a renewed sense of mastery and competence.